Oregon's Sake Master (What Don't They Master Out There?)

I love a great Pinot Noir or Rogue amber ale as much as anyone (maybe even more -- I'm a Portland, OR native), but it turns out the Northwest has more up its boozy sleeve: The region is also home to some damn good sake. (Turns out our Foodist knew what he was talking about when he called Portland one of the best drinking towns in the country.)

From their kura (sake brewery) in Forest Grove, OR, Momokawa puts out award-winning sake, which, they're letting everyone know, pairs as well with food as wine does. And not just Japanese food. After enjoying a six-course menu designed to launch their repackaged line, I know I won't be saving sake for sushi nights anymore. After tasting pairings featuring everything from foie gras with kumquat to gelato and bananas, I was surprised by how good ** everything tasted together. The sakes ranged from dry and floral to creamy and almost citrus-y and were all served slightly chilled as most higher quality sakes are meant to be consumed.

Since I'm new to the whole sake-without-sashimi thing, I'll turn this over to an actual expert -- Momokawa's Vice President of Marketing Dewey Weddington -- for his rules of sake-food pairing:

"The most important rule is there are no rules. Don't just pair sake with Asian foods. Try it with anything you would typically pair with wine."

"Use wine as your guide. Some of the same principles of wine and beer pairings apply, so it's a safe bet to pair dry sakes with light foods that go well with white wines; medium, floral sakes with the heavy foods you often serve with reds; and creamy, thick, unfiltered sake (known as nigori) with spicier foods that typically beg for beer."

"Don't always follow Rule #2. Surprising combinations often yield transcendent combinations. Just start tasting different sakes with different foods and find what you like."

If that sounds a little intimidating, start with Weddington's favorite combinations: a floral, medium bodied sake (like the Murai Family Sugidama) with asparagus; sweet, heavy sake (like the Yoshinogawa Daiginjo) with clams, and cold nigori (like the Momokawa Organic Nigori) with dark chocolate.